Legends – Page 27 – 7th Level Music

Rewind Review: The Beatles – Rubber Soul (1965)

I know what you’re thinking: “You’ve never heard Rubber Soul before?” I have, but I’ve never owned a copy. Now you’re thinking: “You’ve never owned Rubber Soul before?” It’s true. I haven’t because I have some of the songs on mix tapes and multiple tracks from it can be heard on local FM classic rock radio eight days a week. I finally found a decent price copy at a local wrecka stow and snagged it.

I don’t know what I can write about Rubber Soul that hasn’t already been written, but it’s one of their best and my favorites. I like how it bridges the gap between their bubble gum stuff and their complete psychedelic freak-outs.

Opening with a track like “Drive My Car” is genius because it gives the listener (and DJ back then) a surefire hit right out of the gate. Those same DJs and fans must’ve been flattened by “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” when it followed with Harrison’s sitar riffs. “You Won’t See Me” harkens back a bit to their earlier pop days and hints at Paul McCartney’s future material with Wings.

Speaking of hints, “Nowhere Man” is a precursor to the political statements the band would eventually make when they had even more freedom to do whatever they wanted in the studio. “Think for Yourself” is almost a dirty blues dis on a woman, and “The Word” is early hippie rock mixed with funk. “Michelle,” with its English and French lyrics, was another surefire winner in the UK and Europe.

The country groove of “What Goes On,” with Ringo Starr on lead vocals, was probably another surprise to Beatles fans back in 1965, but I’m sure the casual fans breathed a sigh of relief when “Girl” followed, as it sounds like a throwback to their early records and love songs with John Lennon and Paul McCartney sharing lead vocals. “I’m Looking through You” is almost a flipside of “Girl,” in that the girl in question is no longer an object of love but one of confusion and frustration.

Lennon and McCartney could very well have retired after “In My Life,” because it’s one of the most beautiful songs ever given to the human race. We’re all glad they didn’t, but it’s a song that would’ve probably made me hang it up if I were a songwriter in 1965. I would’ve thought, “Well, I can’t top that.”

“Wait” is a fun rock ballad, and “If I Needed Someone” gave George Harrison a crack at lead vocals for a change. I love how the album ends with “Run for Your Life,” in which Lennon tells his girl that he’ll kill her if she cheats on him. It’s a shocking song from the guys who used to sing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Please Please Me.”

The Beatles wanted to shake things up in 1965, and they did. Rubber Soul changed everything (a feat the Beatles did multiple times) for them and us.

Keep your mind open.

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Radiohead announce U.S., UK, and European tour dates for spring and summer.

Living legends Radiohead have announced a spring and summer tour that starts in the U.S. and ends in England. It takes them to Poland, Ireland, Italy, and even two dates at the Coachella Music Festival. Their U.S. dates are in the west and south, so catch them if you can.

03-30 Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena

04-01 Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
04-03 New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
04-05 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
04-08 Seattle, WA – Key Arena
04-09 Portland, OR – Moda Center
04-11 Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
o4-14 Indio, CA – Coachella
04-17-18 Berkely, CA – Greek Theatre
04-21 Indio, CA – Coachella
06-06-07 Oslo, Norway – Spektrum
06-09 Stockholm, Sweden – Ericsson Globe
06-11 Aarhus, Denmark – Northside Festival
06-14 Florence, Italy – Visarno Arena @ Parco Delle Cascine
06-16 Milan, Italy – I-Days @ Parco di Monza
06-18 Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands – Best Kept Secret Festival
06-20 Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
06-23 Pilton, England – Glastonbury Festival
06-28 Gdynia, Poland – Open’er Festival
06-30 Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter
07-02 Arras, France – Main Square Festival
07-04-05 Manchester, England – Manchester Arena

Keep your mind open.

Slowdive release first single in more than two decades.

SLOWDIVE RETURN WITH FIRST NEW SONG IN 22 YEARS

LISTEN TO “STAR ROVING” HERE
https://youtu.be/ogCih4OavoY

(above image by Ingrid Pop)

After 22 years, Slowdive return with “Star Roving,” their first new material since 1995’s Pygmalion. Featuring Neil Halstead (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Christian Savill (guitar), Nick Chaplin (bass), Rachel Goswell (vocals) and Simon Scott (drums, electronics), “Star Roving” embodies the effortlessness for which Slowdive is known — as the song progresses, it expands and contracts in ways that feel infinite.
Slowdive released their debut album, Just For A Day, in 1991 via Creation Records. The highly revered Souvlaki followed in 1993 and Pygmalion in 1995, and then the band disbanded. In the 22 years of their virtual disappearance, compilation albums have been released and the core members of the group have gone on to join other musical endeavors. In 2014, Slowdive announced that they had reunited and more new music would follow. Upon today’s release of new single, “Star Roving,” the band has also announced signing to Dead Oceans.

Halstead says, “When the band decided to get back together in 2014, we really wanted to make new music. It’s taken us a whole load of shows and a few false starts to get to that point, but it’s with pride and a certain trepidation we unleash ‘Star Roving.’ It’s part of a bunch of new tracks we’ve been working on and it feels as fun, and as relevant playing together now as it did when we first started. We hope folks enjoy it.”

Dead Oceans’s Phil Waldorf comments on the signing, “We are elated to work with Slowdive on their new album. I saw Slowdive for the first time, as a teenager, in 1991 at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC. I remember it being a revelation – the way the band used texture and tone was something I’d never heard before, and it stuck with me for a long time. It was one of those gigs that was a gateway drug of sorts — not only was it amazing to see Slowdive, but it was the first taste of a whole sound that made me go exploring into all kinds of music. More than two decades later, their music sounds just as relevant and vital, and we cannot wait for old fans and new listeners to hear the band’s new recordings.”
Listen to Slowdive’s “Star Roving” –
https://youtu.be/ogCih4OavoY

Purchase “Star Roving” –
https://slowdive.lnk.to/star-roving

U2 announces 30th anniversary tour of “The Joshua Tree.”

I guess it was thirty years ago when I saw U2 on their Joshua Tree tour in Indianapolis at Market Square Arena (which no longer exists). The band recently announced they will be playing the album in full during an upcoming anniversary tour that will stretch from Vancouver to Brussels. There are plenty of U.S. dates, but you’ll have to get your tickets from the resale market if you missed the sale. The tour sold out in minutes.

Keep your mind open.

Sleater-Kinney to release “Live in Paris” January 27th.

Alt-rock riot grrl legends Sleater-Kinney will release “Live in Paris” on January 27, 2016. This recording comes from their “No Cities to Love” reunion tour and they’re offering the album on vinyl, CD, and cassette (along with some T-shirt combo packages, too).

Don’t miss what’s sure to be a fine record. I hope they get back in the studio and on the road again soon.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 5 – 1

Here we are at my top five live shows of 2016.

#5 – Earthless at Levitation Chicago March 12th

Earthless are the only band to be in my top 10 concerts of 2016 twice. This was the second time I’d seen them and the first time I’d been close to the stage. It was a stunning performance that nearly left me speechless. They were also cool cats who were happy to sign my concert poster after their performance.

#4 – Night Beats at Levitation Chicago March 12th

Night Beats are the only band to be in the top 30 concerts of 2016 three times. Their Levitation Chicago performance was downright dangerous and established the swagger and tight chops I’d see from them all year. They, too, were also cool cats who signed my copy of their new album Who Sold My Generation for me after their set.

#3 – Deap Vally at the Chicago House of Blues October 13th

They were first on a bill with Death from Above 1979 and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and they set the bar so high that the other two bands couldn’t match it. They came to kick ass and take names…and they were all out of names. They, too, were cool cats who chatted with me after their set. Everyone was still talking about their performance as we were walking out of the venue.

#2 – Gary Wilson at Levitation Chicago March 10th

I didn’t know much about Gary Wilson before seeing him at Levitation Chicago. I walked out a devoted fan. His show was part-lounge act, part-psychedelic freak-out, and part-performance art piece. He creeped out a woman next to me, made others laugh, others cheers, and others stand there with a “What the hell am I seeing and hearing?” look on their face. I couldn’t stop talking about his performance for weeks and haven’t stopped recommending him to everyone since.

#1 – Bebel Gilberto at Ann Arbor Summer Fest June 18th

Only one concert had a moment that made me cry in 2016, and that was when Bebel Gilberto and her guitarist performed a cover of Radiohead‘s “Creep.” Seeing this member of bossa nova royalty in a great venue (The acoustics in Ann Arbor’s Powerhouse Theatre are sublime.) was a dream come true, as I’ve had a serious crush on her and her music for many years. It was also the first show I attended on a press pass thanks to this blog, so it will always hold a special place in my memory.

Thanks for reading. I hope to get to just as many shows in 2017. Wish me luck and let me know about bands I need to see this year.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 albums of 2015 – #’s 5-1

Here we are at the top 5!

WALL‘s self-titled debut EP was a brash bit of post-punk that floored me the first time I heard it. It’s one of those debuts that instantly makes you hungry for more, and they can’t release a full-length soon enough for me.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are unstoppable. They released the best-engineered record of the year, Nonagon Infinity (which can be played on endless loop, starting from any track, with no discernible bumps or pauses along the way), and have announced five more albums this year.

Night Beats are one of those bands that gets better with each record. Who Sold My Generation was recorded mostly with first and second-takes in just a couple days, and the raw energy and R&B grooves shine through your speakers. They are at the top of their game right now.

The lushest record of 2016 was the Besnard Lakes‘ A Coliseum Complex Museum. It’s full of gorgeous arrangements, psychedelic dreams, and haunting sounds. It’s a record that takes you out of your current state of mind and shifts your thinking.

If you’re gonna go out, go out like David Bowie did with Blackstar. He put everything he had into his final album, and it’s a masterpiece. Wild jazz arrangements, frank lyrics about death, sex, regret, acceptance, love, and hope, and hidden treasures (lyrically and in the album artwork itself) are layered throughout it. The legend left us by setting the bar even higher.

There you have it, folks. Thanks for sticking with me throughout 2016. I hope you’ll keep reading this year.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 10-6

We’re in the top ten of the my favorite live shows of 2016.

#10 – The Flaming Lips at Middle Waves Fest in Ft. Wayne, Indiana September 17th

It was a triumphant return to Fort Wayne after nearly 30 years for them. The show was big, bright, and full of love. It was in the middle of the election season and just what we all needed at the time.

#9 – Earthless at the Empty Bottle in Chicago December 2nd

Earthless is easily one of the best live acts out there right now, and this was my first time seeing them in a small venue. I don’t know how the Empty Bottle was still standing by the time they were done because it was among the loudest and heaviest sets I’ve seen there.

#8 – John Carpenter at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit July 15th

“I got a movie and a concert,” my wife said after seeing a screening of Escape from New York and then John Carpenter, his son, his godson, and the rest of his band play a fantastic retrospective of his film score music. It was also in a huge gothic structure, so that made it all the better.

#7 – Screaming Females at the Brass Rail in Ft. Wayne, Indiana June 26th

I’d wanted to see them for a couple years, and seeing them an hour’s drive away with my best friend in a venue not much bigger than the bottom floor of my house was one of my favorite memories of 2016. They were even kind enough to let me interview in their tour van. They crushed it, leaving most of the crowd dumbstruck.

#6 – L7 at the Metro in Chicago August 6th

Another band I’d waited years, even decades, to see was L7 and their sold-out reunion tour show in Chicago was one of the best performances I’d seen from any band in years. They hadn’t lost a thing and showed pretenders how it’s done.

Good grief! If these shows were so good, who’s in the top five? Come back tomorrow and see!

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 20-16

Let’s keep rollin’ with this countdown of great live shows from 2016!

#20 – Seal at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, MI August 27th.

It was just him, a DJ / synth player, and a guitarist, and they knocked it out of the park. He even dabbled in some dark wave versions of some of his songs and he knows how to work a crowd.

#19 – Wolfmother at the Double Door in Chicago, IL July 10th

The whole show was this crazy. It was probably the sweatiest show I attended all year as well, and completely worth it.

#18 – Jeff the Brotherhood at Middle Waves Festival in Ft. Wayne, IN September 17th

That photo, taken by yours truly, pretty much says it all. They hammered out a loud set in the post-rain sunlight that won over many new fans. They played a lot of new material that was quite good. I need to get their new album soon.

#17 – Bully at Middle Waves Festival in Ft. Wayne, IN September 16th

They closed one of the Middle Waves stages on the first night of the festival and had everyone roaring by the end of their set. They were the best act that night.

#16 – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at the Chicago House of Blues October 13th

BRMC always puts on a good show, and this one was no exception. They played a shorter than normal set due to some equipment malfunction (I think it was a screwed-up monitor.), but they worked around it by playing songs they hadn’t planned on playing and altering some guitar parts. It was a great example of a band on top of their game and able to improvise if things get weird.

Who’s in the top 15? Check back tomorrow to see!

Keep your mind open.

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Gary Wilson releases excellent new single – “When Mary Comes Home Tonight.”

As if his excellent Christmas album wasn’t enough of a gift this year, avant-garde rocker / maestro Gary Wilson has released a new single before the end of 2016. “When Mary Comes Home Tonight” has a cool 1950’s Phil Spector sound to it, but with more fuzzy guitar than I’ve heard on other tracks by Mr. Wilson. It’s excellent and hopefully a glimpse of another full-length release from him soon.

Plus, he’s selling it for only a buck. You can’t miss.

Keep your mind open.

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